National Parks face significant cuts as budget deadline looms

by Kraig Becker on

In what has become an all too familiar story in recent years, America’s national parks are once again facing a serious threat to their future due to the ongoing fiscal crisis. The bipartisan congressional deficit-reduction committee, often referred to as the “Super Committee,” is currently struggling to find ways to cut $1.3 trillion of spending from the U.S. budget. But as their November 23 deadline looms, the committee is contemplating an across the board 9% cut on all programs, which could be potentially disastrous for the National Park Service – an organization that is already woefully underfunded.

There is no doubt that America’s national parks are popular attractions. On a collective basis, the parks now host more than 280 million visitors per year, giving travelers access to some of the most beautiful and historically important places in the entire country. Those places need to be protected and preserved for the future – something that is increasingly more challenging in today’s political and economic climate. A number of parks, such as Yellowstone and the Grand Canyon, have already delayed much needed repairs and upgrades due to a lack of funds.

Last week, in anticipation of a potential cut to the Park Service budget, the National Parks Conservation Association released a intriguing report entitled Made In America: Investing in National Parks for Our Heritage and Our Economy. The report is packed full of information that highlights the importance of the parks not only for American history and culture, but also the economy. For instance, did you know that the parks are responsible for more than 270,000 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollar in local revenue across the country? Budget shortfalls could mean the closure of some parks, which would have a dramatic impact on surrounding communities.

The NPCA points out that if the 9% cut takes effect, the Park Service will see its budget reduced by $231 million. Considering the Park Service’s current budget is already more than $400 million below what it was a decade ago, you can begin to understand why this is such a huge concern.
Cuts of this size will have an immediate and direct impact on the parks and our experience there. The NPCA warns that these budget shortfalls will likely lead to fewer rangers in the parks, which means fewer programs for visitors, the potential closure of campgrounds and reduced hours at visitor centers as well. Worse yet, it could have a dramatic impact on response time for emergency rescue teams and lead to the inability to monitor the health of endangered species in the parks.

These changes would have a damaging effect on the communities that surround the park too. When visitors no longer get the experience they had hoped for out of a park, they will decide to go elsewhere, taking their money along with them. That drop in revenue in those communities would have a direct impact on local business and lead to a loss of jobs as well.

Reading through the NPCA report two numbers stood out to me. First, the document cites a poll in which more than 85 percent of Americans said that they supported full funding for the national parks. That impressive number only servers to further demonstrate how well loved those wild places truly are. The other number that stood out was that less than 1/13th of one percent of the total U.S. budget actually goes to the parks. I’d say that makes them an amazing bargain considering some of the other things our tax dollars have gone to over the years.

With the November 23rd deadline looming, lets hope some of the men and women in Washington D.C. are as impressed with those numbers as well.

National Parks go fee-free for Veterans Day weekend

by Kraig Becker on

In honor of Veterans Day, the National Park Service has declared another fee-free weekend. Starting tomorrow, and running through Sunday, all entry fees into America’s national parks will be waived, giving travelers the opportunity to enjoy the crisp fall weather in some of the most spectacular landscapes the country has to offer.

While the fall colors in many of the parks have come and gone, there are still some places where the reds, oranges, and golds of autumn can still be spotted. Particularly at the lower altitudes in Yosemite and near the Chattahoochee River in Georgia. The cooler weather also makes it the perfect time to take a long hike or go camping one final time before winter sets in. It is also a great time to spot wildlife in places like Yellowstone or Rocky Mountain National Park, where the change in seasons puts the elk and sheep on the move.

This is the final fee-free weekend of 2011, so take advantage of it if you can. But if you aren’t able to make it out to your favorite park over the next few days, don’t worry too much. The Park Service has already announced 17 more free days for 2012, with the first of those coming January 14-16 in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

For a complete list of the parks that will be participating this weekend, click here.

Oklahoma’s largest Civil War battlefield may become National Park

by Sean McLachlan on


The Honey Springs Battlefield Park in Oklahoma may become a new addition to the National Park Service, the Tulsa World reports.

The U.S. Department of the Interior said in a report that there’s “potential action” for “support designation of Honey Springs as a National Battlefield Park.” Now Oklahoma history buffs are scratching their heads over just what that means. The Tulsa World couldn’t get an answer. Hopefully that government-speak translates into real action. The Battle of Honey Springs was the largest Civil War battle in Oklahoma, which was the Indian Territory back then. The battle was notable in that white soldiers were a minority on both sides.

On July 17, 1863, a Confederate army was gathering at Honey Springs in order to attack the Union position at Fort Gibson. About four or five thousand rebels had assembled, mostly Cherokee, Choctaw and Chickasaw. More reinforcements were coming, so the Union troops at Fort Gibson, which only numbered 2,800, decided to attack before it was too late. The Union side was mostly black and Indian troops, some from the same tribes as the rebels.

After a night march, the Union army attacked the Confederate position in a pouring rain. The rain ruined much of the rebel gunpowder, and this helped decide the battle. Nonetheless there was enough powder left for the rebels to put up a hard resistance. After a few hours they were forced to retreat, having to burn part of their wagon train to keep it out of Union hands.

The Confederates lost 150 men killed, 400 wounded, and 77 taken prisoner. The Union lost only 17 killed and 60 wounded. The rebels lost control of the Indian Territory north of the Arkansas River. This helped open up Arkansas for invasion and led to a Union army capturing Little Rock that September.

Prominent in the fight on the Union side was the First Kansas Colored Volunteers, a black unit of mostly escaped slaves that was the first American black regiment to see combat when they defeated a larger force of rebel guerrillas at the Battle of Island Mound in Missouri on October 29, 1862. The victory made headlines across the country and helped dispel a widespread belief that black soldiers wouldn’t fight.

The First Kansas Colored Volunteers fought in several engagements in Missouri, Kansas, and Arkansas yet they aren’t very well known. The justly famous 54th Massachusetts has inspired books, a monument, a movie, even a rap video, but the First Kansas remains largely forgotten. I’ve been sending a book proposal on the regiment around to publishers for a few years now, and despite being an established Civil War author I keep getting told there’s an “insufficient market” for the subject. Apparently the American public can only deal with one group of black heroes at a time.

Here’s hoping the Honey Springs battlefield will become a National Park and the First Kansas will get some of the recognition they deserve. Thanks to Jane Johansson over at the The Trans-Mississippian blog for bringing this to my attention. Jane blogs about all aspects of the Civil War west of the Mississippi and is worth reading.

Photo courtesy farmalldanzil via flickr.

President Obama creates new national park

by Kraig Becker on

President Obama created a new national park yesterday when he invoked the Antiquities Act for the first time in his presidency. The Commander in Chief used his executive powers to designate Fort Monroe, located in Hampton, Virginia, as a national monument, thereby adding it to America’s National Park System.

The region has a long and storied history, that dates back to the early 1600’s when Dutch sailors first traded slaves the Old Point Comfort Peninsula, the future home of the fort. Later, many famous Americans would spend time inside its walls, including Robert E. Lee, who oversaw construction there during the 1800’s. Edgar Allen Poe was stationed at Fort Monroe for a time, penning his famous poem “Annabel Lee” inside the fortress. Harriet Tubman worked at the fort’s hospital, and Chief Blackhawk, who fought with the British during the War of 1812, was briefly imprisoned there, as was Confederate President Jefferson Davis following the end of the Civil War.

While the fortress may have started as an outpost for the slave trade, during the Civil War it became a symbol of hope for many African Americans. In 1861, the fort was occupied by Union soldiers when three escaped slaves arrived at the gates seeking asylum. The fort’s commander, General Benjamin Butler, took them in and refused to return them to Confederate General Charles Mallory. Soon, thousands more would flock to the place, earning it the name of “Freedom’s Fortress.” Butler’s bold move marked the beginning of the end for slavery in Virgina.

The President’s proclamation not only includes the fort itself, but two miles of beachfront property and inland landscapes as well. Those environments are said to be excellent spaces for bird watching, hiking, camping and other outdoor pursuits. The newest park in the system offers both history and beauty in a single setting.

Naturally, the National Parks Conversation Association was quick to praise this move by the President, calling Fort Monroe “America’s next great urban national park.” The non-profit organization is dedicated to protecting America’s parks for future generations, and sees the inclusion of this park as a historical and economic boon to the surrounding communities.

Fort Monroe is the 396th park in the U.S. system. To find out more about the place click here.

National Park Service announces fee-free days for 2012

by Kraig Becker on

The National Park Service has announced the dates of its fee-free days for 2012, continuing a recent, and very popular, tradition of waiving entry fees to national parks throughout the year. Next year, travelers will have 17 such days during which they can visit their favorite parks while saving a few dollars in the process.

Earlier this week, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the fee-free days would include January 14-16 (Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend), April 21-29 (National Parks Week), June 9 (Get Outdoors Day), September 29 (National Public Lands Day), and November 10-12 (Veterans Day Weekend).

In addition to those 17 fee-free days for next year, there are still a few free days left for 2011 as well. All of the national parks will once again allow entry to travelers without paying on Veterans Day weekend, which is November 10-12.

For a complete list of the more than 100 parks that take part in the fee-free program click here.

The concept of not charging for entry to the parks was designed to inspire people to visit these amazing destinations. Considering that attendance has been at record levels the past few years, I’d say it has been successful. Announcing the dates this early also helps travelers to plan around these days, both to take advantage of the free entry or to avoid the crowds that inevitably come with them. Either way, it’s a great opportunity to experience a national park, and I’m glad the NPS is continuing the practice again in 2012.